Clint lunged at her. Lacey gasped and jumped back just as he suddenly became airborne, legs and arms flying up as he let out a startled grunt. He came down hard, the back of his head slamming against the floor.
“Daddy!” Lacey ran over to him, kicking the whiskey bottle he’d slipped on out of her way before dropping to her knees. “Are you okay?!” She cupped his damp cheeks. “Daddy, please—say something!”
“Leave me alone,” he whispered, recoiling at her touch.
She blinked. “What?”
Clint grabbed her wrists, yanked her hands off his face. The skin around his eyes crinkled as he narrowed them. “I want you to go away and leave me alone .”
Lacey’s heart couldn’t have hurt worse if his hand had punched through her chest and seized it in a death grip. She bolted out of the house, swallowing past the hard, burning lump that had formed in her throat.
Leave me alone.
Her vision blurred as she shot across the front yard, its dampness seeping through her socks. Rocks poked her chilled feet as she sprinted down the dirt road.
I want you to go away and leave me alone.
She ran until her chest began to feel like it had been pumped full of acid before coming to a sudden stop that almost made her topple forward. With her hands clenched tight around her knees, she swayed like the branches of a tree in a soft breeze as she sucked air into her burning lungs.
He was going to hit me.
The thought robbed Lacey of the remaining strength in her trembling legs and she crumbled to the ground. Her butt hit the hard road, rocks jabbing into her soft flesh. The external pain ejected the inner pain as turbulently as water from a geyser. She rocked back and forth as tears streamed down her cheeks like a faucet that hadn’t been turned off completely.
Stop it! He’s not worth it!
Fighting against the forceful sobs making her entire body quake, Lacey angrily swiped at her blurry eyes. “I h-hate him,” she said in between hitches of breath. “I fucking hate h-him!”
And this time, she almost meant it.
“Identify the male of whom you speak and I will take great pleasure in making him hate himself.”
Lacey was on her feet long before the thought to move had come. Her eyes darted from side to side as she tried to take in every inch of her surroundings all at once. After several sweeps her confounded brain registered the broad, towering form standing in front of one headlight. Her heart leaped into her throat as she leaped back. “I have pepper spray!” she blurted.
The man remained quiet for so long Lacey was beginning to think she hadn’t actually spoken. But then a soft chuckle broke the harrowing silence that had stripped her nerves bare. “Where?”
With slow blinks, Lacey gaped at him. What does he mean, she wondered as she looked down. A burst of heat engulfed her head like the tip of a match striking a course surface. Too hot to sleep in flannel pajamas, she’d borrowed one of her father’s thin, white tee shirt’s, which was so big it looked like a dress on her. And she was sans underwear.
Icy, tingly darts ripped through Lacey’s body, turning her nipples into stiff peaks. Taking a step back, she folded her arms over her breasts as she looked up. Illuminated from behind by the headlight he stood in front of, the man’s face was nothing more than a shadowy mask—but she could see his eyes perfectly. Their irises were such a light shade of blue that they appeared almost colorless...and they also appeared to be glowing as they slowly swept up and down her rigid body.
Floating...why do I feel like I’m floating?
He took a step forward. “Do you require assistance?”
I can’t breathe. Where did all the air go?
Lacey took a step back. “No.”
I think I’m going to faint. What will he do to me if I...? No, I can’t faint.
“Are you certain?”
Try breathing again. Good, that’s good. Now answer him.
“Yes...thanks...thank you,” she said, forcing the words out
“Daddy!” Lacey ran over to him, kicking the whiskey bottle he’d slipped on out of her way before dropping to her knees. “Are you okay?!” She cupped his damp cheeks. “Daddy, please—say something!”
“Leave me alone,” he whispered, recoiling at her touch.
She blinked. “What?”
Clint grabbed her wrists, yanked her hands off his face. The skin around his eyes crinkled as he narrowed them. “I want you to go away and leave me alone .”
Lacey’s heart couldn’t have hurt worse if his hand had punched through her chest and seized it in a death grip. She bolted out of the house, swallowing past the hard, burning lump that had formed in her throat.
Leave me alone.
Her vision blurred as she shot across the front yard, its dampness seeping through her socks. Rocks poked her chilled feet as she sprinted down the dirt road.
I want you to go away and leave me alone.
She ran until her chest began to feel like it had been pumped full of acid before coming to a sudden stop that almost made her topple forward. With her hands clenched tight around her knees, she swayed like the branches of a tree in a soft breeze as she sucked air into her burning lungs.
He was going to hit me.
The thought robbed Lacey of the remaining strength in her trembling legs and she crumbled to the ground. Her butt hit the hard road, rocks jabbing into her soft flesh. The external pain ejected the inner pain as turbulently as water from a geyser. She rocked back and forth as tears streamed down her cheeks like a faucet that hadn’t been turned off completely.
Stop it! He’s not worth it!
Fighting against the forceful sobs making her entire body quake, Lacey angrily swiped at her blurry eyes. “I h-hate him,” she said in between hitches of breath. “I fucking hate h-him!”
And this time, she almost meant it.
“Identify the male of whom you speak and I will take great pleasure in making him hate himself.”
Lacey was on her feet long before the thought to move had come. Her eyes darted from side to side as she tried to take in every inch of her surroundings all at once. After several sweeps her confounded brain registered the broad, towering form standing in front of one headlight. Her heart leaped into her throat as she leaped back. “I have pepper spray!” she blurted.
The man remained quiet for so long Lacey was beginning to think she hadn’t actually spoken. But then a soft chuckle broke the harrowing silence that had stripped her nerves bare. “Where?”
With slow blinks, Lacey gaped at him. What does he mean, she wondered as she looked down. A burst of heat engulfed her head like the tip of a match striking a course surface. Too hot to sleep in flannel pajamas, she’d borrowed one of her father’s thin, white tee shirt’s, which was so big it looked like a dress on her. And she was sans underwear.
Icy, tingly darts ripped through Lacey’s body, turning her nipples into stiff peaks. Taking a step back, she folded her arms over her breasts as she looked up. Illuminated from behind by the headlight he stood in front of, the man’s face was nothing more than a shadowy mask—but she could see his eyes perfectly. Their irises were such a light shade of blue that they appeared almost colorless...and they also appeared to be glowing as they slowly swept up and down her rigid body.
Floating...why do I feel like I’m floating?
He took a step forward. “Do you require assistance?”
I can’t breathe. Where did all the air go?
Lacey took a step back. “No.”
I think I’m going to faint. What will he do to me if I...? No, I can’t faint.
“Are you certain?”
Try breathing again. Good, that’s good. Now answer him.
“Yes...thanks...thank you,” she said, forcing the words out
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